The use of polymeric materials in hair care products is of increasing importance. In the hair care area, polymers can be used for hair hold and setting products, for hair conditioning products, and in shampoos. Whereas a great many benefits can be obtained through the use of polymeric materials in these types of compositions, it remains desirable to further improve such compositions. For example, it would be desirable to provide products with improved style retention characteristics or with improved hair conditioning benefits.
In the hair care area, the desire to have hair retain a particular style or shape is widely held. Such style retention is generally accomplished by either of two routes: permanent chemical alteration of the hair fiber or temporary alteration of hair style or shape. A temporary alteration is one which can be removed by water or by shampooing. Temporary style alteration has generally been accomplished by application of a composition to dampened hair after shampooing and/or conditioning and prior to drying and/or styling. Products in the form of mousses, gels, lotions, or sprays are most commonly used for this purpose. Once the desired style is achieved, spray products are commonly used to help retain the style. These various hair care products utilize a variety of gums and resins for providing styling and retention. However, the gums and resins currently used tend to feel either too sticky or too stiff upon the hair. Also, these gums and resins do not wash out as easily as desired. Therefore, the need exists for improved styling and style retention materials which provide a strong, lasting, hold without being either too stiff or too sticky, and yet which are easily removed by shampooing. Furthermore, because most hair care styling compositions are water and/or alcohol based, it is necessary that these materials have good solubility or dispersibility in these bases.
Similarly in the hair conditioning area, it would be desirable to develop polymers which provide improved conditioning benefits and which can be delivered from a wide variety of matrices, including rinses, leave-on compositions, and shampoos. Many conventional conditioning agents have the disadvantage of leaving the hair feeling and looking coated. Also, many conventional conditioning agents are not suitable for delivery from a shampoo matrix, because they are removed from the hair during the washing process instead of remaining behind on the hair fibers.
Nonpolar, hydrophobic thermoplastic elastomeric copolymers are well known in the art, but have not been used for personal care applications, such as hair care products. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,116, to Milkovich et al., issued Jan. 15, 1974. Thermoplastic elastomeric copolymers combine thermoplastic properties, which give them solubility and strength, with rubber-like elastic properties, which give them flexibility and shape retention. The thermoplastic elastomeric copolymers of the present invention are non-polar materials, being relatively insoluble in water and/or alcohol. These solubility characteristics makes these copolymers highly useful for formulation in hair care products.
It is also well known that polymers can be modified by the incorporation or grafting of silicone. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,609, to R. E. Bolich Jr., et al. issued Apr. 21, 1992, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,935, to Mazurek, issued Sep. 15, 1987. Silicone grafted polymers tend to have a low surface energy and provide unique aesthetic and formulation advantages not usually obtained from non-silicone grafted polymers.
Despite the advantages that non-polar thermoplastic elastomeric copolymers can provide, these materials are generally difficult to formulate. It has been found, however, in the present invention that the use of certain insoluble volatile solvents provides a highly desirable basis for these compositions. The resulting compositions have good styling and conditioning performance and have a highly desirable feel upon the hair, e.g., they do not leave the hair feeling stiff or sticky.
It is an object of the present invention to provide hair care compositions containing nonpolar graft thermoplastic elastomeric copolymers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide hair care compositions having improved style and hold benefits.
It is another object of the present invention to provide novel hair care compositions having improved conditioning benefits.
These and other objects will become readily apparent from the detailed description which follows.